0
![Not allowed!](images/buttons/down_dis.png)
![Not allowed!](images/buttons/up_dis.png)
Head Coach Richard Graham has selected a 25 man touring squad for matches against the Lions in Johannesburg this Saturday followed by the Stormers in Cape Town in a fortnight.
Matt Dunning, who has a foot injury, is the only exclusion from the match day 22 that drew against the Blues in Perth last week while Tim Fairbrother and Australian U20’s representative Paul Alo-Emile return to bolster the front row. Big lock Tom Hockings and new signing Brian Sefanaia are the other inclusions into the touring squad.
Flyhalf Willie Ripia will stay in Perth for the remainder of the week and continue to step-up his training load before a decision is made whether he will be brought across for the week six match against the Stormers at Newlands.
A match day 22 for the Lions clash at Ellis Park (Saturday, 19 March) will be advised on Thursday.
Emirates Western Force touring squad
Forwards: Paul Alo-Emile, Richard Brown, Nathan Charles, Pek Cowan, Tim Fairbrother, Tom Hockings, Matt Hodgson (vc), Jono Jenkins, Kieran Longbottom, Ben McCalman, Tevita Metuisela, Nathan Sharpe (c), Ben Whittaker, Sam Wykes
Backs: Matt Brandon, Nick Cummins, Pat Dellit, Gene Fairbanks, Alfie Mafi, James O’Connor, Brian Sefanaia, Brett Sheehan, Cameron Shepherd, David Smith, James Stannard
He'll be back for the Rebels. Give him a chance lads.
Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast.
Can we please have all injury prone players on the ole fashioned payment method. no base salary but match payments. We had it with Caleb Brown why cant we do the same...
Have a look at the present and past players who haven't played more than half a dozen games since being at the force.When we signed the below we were all over the moon and ready to make the finals, but the below were never on the park long enough.
Willie Ripia
Bart
Adam Clarke
Sam Harris
Ioane
Lachlan Mackay
Pretious
Rudi
Pusey
and the list can go on for our supposably "star players"
We want Willie at the business in... need him 100% fit....good move I feel the backs are starting to click
Bit harsh on Puse!?
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.
Probably fairer than the truth.....he just wasn't good enough to push his way into the XV
C'mon the![]()
![]()
He played his part.
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.
Oh, no doubt, but his intermittent appearances weren't greatly attributable to his fitness was my point.
C'mon the![]()
![]()
Yeah I agree Grope, you hear so much about "It's a long season" at the start of the year, then around Round 10 you'll start hearing Coaches saying "...because it's such a short season."
Every match is worth the same amount of points and you can't afford to drop Round 1 any more than you can Round 15 to 18.
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.